Sometimes a change of scenery with a new job and fresh start is all that it takes for a man and his family to be happy. That was at least the plan for UK Police Sergeant Peter Threlfall, who had already accepted a position as a constable in the town of Ceduna Australia until he learned that his entry visa was denied. The reason: Australia is saying no to Threlfall’s 25 year old step daughter who has autism.

"Over 100,000 people will migrate to Australia every year for the next four years," says upakweship.co.uk. Australian government will have it's hands full making sure none entering are "autistic."

Peter Threlfall is outraged at the decision, which was made despite his daughter Sarah, 25, having two jobs and volunteering with the Scout and Guide movement. She had planned to study hairdressing when they arrived here.
Mr Threlfall was preparing to move his wife and family to South Australia but was told in December they had been denied visas under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.

Mr Threlfall has spent the past few months trying to reverse the decision but his family is now resigned to staying in the UK.

The refusal to let the Threlfalls into the country was based on the presumption his step-daughter Sarah’s condition would place a burden on healthcare and community services in Australia. Mr Threlfall said Sarah worked part-time as both a cleaner and a store assistant. His family was not seeking any assistance for Sarah and were shattered that they could no longer move to Australia.

He said he had spent about six months and $8000 going through the recruitment process and had missed out on career advancement in London because he had been focused on the move. ”Sarah is not a drain on UK resources and would not have been on Australia,” he said.

An Immigration Department spokesman confirmed Mr Threlfall and his family had applied for visas. His daughter had not met the legislated health requirement, which was partly to restrict public expenditure on healthcare and community services. Read more:

Aussie Autism Discrimination?
Come on… This is Autism, not a Pneumonic plague. Yes, $137 billion in autism expenditures paid by society annually is very high- but in this case, why not require Peter Threlfall and family to simply sign a legal waver stating that he, his daughter and family will not require financial assistance for Sarah’s condition?